Staggered supporting arrangement for backed-up roller leveler



Aug. 24, 1965 F. K. MAUST 3,201,965

STAGGERED SUPPORTING ARRANGEMENT FOR BACKED-UP ROLLER LEVELER OriginalFiled Oct. 22. 1958 FIG. I. 2 20 2| 22 I8 Lg |9 E P1 5 R I6 30 30 3o 3032 3| 32 3| 32 3| 32 I4 is; g; 24 25 2s Y FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. FREDERICK MA 1/57 BY 3. @MWWZZZL WM ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,201,965 STAGGERED SUPPORTENG ARRANGEMENT FQR EA'CKED-UPlt-QLLER LEVELER Frederick K. Maust, 35--36 212th St, Queens Village, N.Y.; Hedwig Manet and John Grill, administrators of said Frederick K.Maust, deceased Original application (Pet. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 768,991,new Patent No. 3,678,908, dated Feb. 26, 1963. Divided and thisapplication Dec. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 243,499 Claims. ((31. 72l63) Thisapplication constitutes a division of my application Serial Number768,991, filed October 22, 1958, and now Patent Number 3,078,908, issuedFebruary 26, 1963.

This invention relates to backed-up roller levelers for flattening andstraightening plate, sheet and coiled material and has particularreference to a novel arrangement of multiple adjustable supportingsections positioned in a novel way along the longitudinal axes of theirassociated work or straightening rolls.

In a backed-up roller leveler, the material is subjected to a successionof transverse waves by passing it between two banks of cooperating workrolls, each bank of work rolls producing a succession of half-waves inthe material. Each bank of work rolls is backed-up by a series of shortsupport or backing rolls with suitable adjusting means, also calledbroadly support roll sections. These are spaced along and are in contactwith the work rolls. When it is desired to stretch preferentially shortareas of the work material, then the support roll sections are adjusteddifferentially so that the work rolls are either deflected into convex,concave or sinuous deflection or working contours or are deflected intosuch a contour by the work material passing between the banks of workrolls. The particular adjusted deflection contours always depend on thesetting of the support roll sections to accomplish certain desiredresults on the work material. The material to be leveled is thussubjected to waves whose amplitudes vary transversely of the materialcorresponding to the adjusted deflection contours of the work rolls.

In order to be effective, the work rolls of roller levelers must besmall in diameter. Small diameter work rolls would deflect under load,however, for which reason the work rolls must be backed-up or supportedby comparatively short and stiff supporting rolls. In practice, it isfrequently found that the load carrying capacity of the support rollbearings would only require comparatively few support roll sections, butthe flatness requirements of the trade have steadily grown morecritical. To satisfy these demands for precision leveled material,backed-up roller levelers have also grown more elaborate and costly,because of the necessity of providing ever increasing numbers of supportroll sections along the work rolls, usually not on account of loadcarrying problems, but in order to enable the operator to concentratethe correcting pressure precisely on those portions or" the workmaterial which need corrections. The high cost of present day backed-uproller levelers is directly traceable to the large number of supportroll sections required along the longitudinal axes of the work rolls.

The problem of precision leveling with the least pos sible number ofsupporting sections has existed for many years. Many efforts have beenmade to overcome and solve this. problem. The solutions previouslypresented have not proved successful. It has been suggested, forinstance, to employ one small diameter deflectable work roll in groupsof larger work rolls and to provide the small diameter Work roll withlaterally adjustable su ports. The lateral displacement has provedimpractical and, in addition to the mechanical difficulties, thedeflection of only one single work roll has a very limited cites- "icetiveness as far as mill shape correction is concerned, because theportions of the work material to be corrected must be subjected to amultiplicity or successive tensile and compressive stresses in order tobe effective.

The accepted general practice has been heretofore to locate the supportroll sections for the upper and lower banks of work rolls one directlyabove and in line with the other, namely, in the same vertical plane.FIG. 3 of my United States Patent No. 2,638,143 shows this usualarrangement in that the three upper and three lower flights of supportroll sections are in vertical symmetry. Therefore, only three areasacross the work material can be preferentially treated by applying moreor less pressure.

One object of this invention is to provide a novel support rollarrangement by positioning at least two support roll sections of onework roll bank in staggered relation to three support roll sections ofthe other work roll bank, so that the respective center lines throughsaid two first named support roll sections pass between adjacent hearingblocks of said three last named support roll sections.

Another object is to provide the aforementioned staggered upper andlower support roll sections with means for selectively and independentlydeflecting their associated work rolls into the desired workingcontours, so that the material is subjected to a multiplicity of wavestransversely to the direction of passage of the material throughcooperating banks of straightening rolls, forming a first series ofalternate half-waves of varying transverse amplitude in the material byselectively deflecting one bank of straightening rolls to correct afirst group of spaced apart localized areas across the width of thematerial and forming a second series of alternate half-waves of varyingtransverse amplitude by selectively deflecting the other bank ofstraightening rolls to correct a second group of spaced apart localizedareas across the width of the material, the localized areas of saidfirst group alternating across the width of the material with thelocalized areas of the second group in line with the aforementioned staggered positioning of the upper support roll sections relative to thelower support roll sections.

With these and other objects in view to be pointed out in thespecification and in the appended claims, several forms in which theinvention may be conveniently embodied in practice have been illustratedon the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial front view of a backed-up roller leveler, partly insection, showing three upper support roll sections in staggered relationto four lower support roll sections.

FIG. 2 is a partial section along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a modification with siX upper adjustable support rollsections and seven lower support roll sections in staggered relationthereto; and

FIG. 4 illustrates seven upper support roll sections and six lowersupport roll sections, both upper and lower support roll section beingadjustable toward and away from their associated work rolls.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper straightening or work rolls 11are journalled at their ends in suitable bearing blocks 12 and 13. Thelower work rolls 14 are similarly journalled in bearing blocks 15 and16. These bearing blocks, in turn, are suitably located in left andrighthand housings l7 and 18. The upper and lower work rolls may bedriven in the usual manner by means of universal joints and drivespindles 19 from a gear-box (not shown) and prime mover (not shown), asis well known in the art.

The three upper support roll sections 20, 21 and 22 are identical to thefour lower support roll sections 23, 24, 25 and 26. As the constructionof these support roll sections and their adjustment is well known in theart,

onlysupport roll section an example. It consists in a multiplicity ofshort support or'backing rolls 30 arranged to nest their associated workrolls 14 for the purpose of preventing them Erorn any undesired verticalor horizontal,deflectionjasbest seen in FIG. 2 :of the drawing. The endsof thefshort backing rolls 30 are rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 31and 32. The support rolls 30 are usually rotated by frictional contactwith their work rolls 14. Bearing blocks 31 and 32 are secured to cradle37, which is supported on saddle 38. matching-curvilinear slidingsurfaces 39'to permit support rolls 30 toiollow the deflection contourof thework rolls. spring rods 41 threaded in the cradle 37 and springs40. Adjusting screws 42, worr'nwheels 43, worms 44 and shafts 45 may beemployed to adjust the support =roll section toward or away fromthe'work rolls 14 for the deflection of the latter into any desireddeflection contour. By adjusting each one of the. upper andlower supportroll sections selectively, the patterns of transversevariation of theamplitudes of the half-waves produced in the material by the upper andlower work rolls may, be

changed to produce the best leveling results for a given mill shape ofthe distorted material. Instead of the adjusting means shown, wedges orsimilar means may be employed for the displacement of the support rollsections and reference is made to my United States Patent Number2,638,143, column6, Deflection of upper straightening rolls.

The upper support roll sections 20, 21 and 22 with 23 is shown in moredetail, as

Cradle 37 and' saddle 38fhave The cradle 37 and saddle 38 are connectedby by the adjustment of the support roll section relative to its workrollbank.

The new supporting arrangement for the vertically spaced apart uppervand lower work rolls 11 and-14 may be described as consisting of aplurality of what may be termed supporting trios located inpredetermined 'fixed positions along the longitudinal axes of the workrolls. Each supporting trio comprises one support section or supportunit, such as 20, for one roll bank 11 in combination with two coactingsupport sections or support units, such as 23 and 24, for the other rollbank'14. Support 7 or back-up rolls 27 i and 30 contact and supporttheir respective work rolls 11 and 14 against undesired deflection.Coactingsupport s ecti0ns 23 and 24, FIG. 1, are

positioned immediately below support section 20 and are symmetricalthereto, the vertical center line through support section 20 beinglocated between the vertical center lines of said associated supportsections 23 and 24. In the closely spaced support section arrangementshown in FIG. 1, the group or series of upper support sections 20, 21,22 are located in oifset positions with respect to 1 the lower series orgroup of support sections 23, 24, 25,

26 so that the back-up rolls 27 of upper supportsection 20, forinstance, overlap adjacent ends. of the back-up rolls of lower coactingsupport sections 23 and 24.

With three upper and four lower support roll sections as shown in FIG.1, the operator of the leveler has the possibility of applyingpreferential stretching pressure to 7 seven distinctly ditierent areasacross the width of the their support rolls 27, including bearing blocks28 and i 29 may be adjustable by similar means, as above described, todisplace them towards and away from'their associatedrupper work rolls11.

If the overall widths of the top and bottom support roll sections areall substantially alike as'shown, the top tween the three associatedstaggered support roll sections 24, 25 and 26. While this uniformstagger is usually desirable, the overall widths of adjacent supportroll sections maydiffer, if it is so desired. However, according to thepresent invention, the condition must still be met that two adjacentlypositioned support roll sections,

such as 21 and 22 of theupper work roll bank, must be so staggered withrespect to three cooperative support roll sections 24, 25 and 26 of thelower work roll bank that the respective vertical center lines throughsupport roll sections 21 and 22 pass between adjacent bearing blocks 32and 31 of support roll sections 24 and 25 and adjacent bearing bolcks 32and 31 of adjacent support roll sections 25 and 26, respectively.Inasmuch as the" vertical center lines through adjacent adjustablesupport roll sections are equivalent to the respective positions of theavailable pressure points along the work rolls, the

vertical center lines through the short areas of the work" material,which may be given preferential pressure, coincide with the beforementioned vertical centerlines through the several support rollsections. The required relation of'staggering of associated'su pportrollsections may also be defined by station that the total width of workmaterial. In levelers of previously known designs, seven upper and sevenlower support roll sections would have been required to obtain similarflexibility.

A very substantial'part of the cost of the leveler is thus savedwithouttsacrificing leveling efliciency. Furmay require the maximumpossible points of pressure application, my new arrangement permitstwice the number of such pressure application points-minus one-ascompared with presently known backed-up roller levelers.

. I Diflerent numbers of support roll sections maybe employed; FIG. 3shows, as an example,'six support roll sections 33 for the upper workrolls located in staggered relation to seven support roll sections 34for the lower Work rolls. This results in thirteen pressure pointsacross the'widthof the work material. Similarly, the greater number ofsupport roll sections 'may, be located along the upper straighteningrolls, as shown in FIG. 4, where seven support rolls 35 in a row areshown along the longitudinal axes of the upper straightening rolls,while six support rolls 36 are placedjalong'the longitudinal axes of thelower straightening rolls, as to alternate with the spaces between theupper support rolls 35, In other Words, the upper support rolls 35 aresaid to be staggered with respect to the lower support rolls 36 alongthe 7 of the material as the number of support roll sections twoadjacent support roll sections, such as 21. .and 22,

must be substantially equal to the distance between the vertical centerlines of the first and third support roll:

sections 24 and 26 of the three staggered. associated supportrollsections 24, 25 and 26. The width of asupport employed for bothbanks or rows of work rolls, namely thirteen in the arrangementsshown'in FIGS; 3 and 4.

i The correction of the-work material is accomplished by increasing ordecreasing the amplitude of certain portions of the waves across thewidth of the material. Thus considering the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1and 2,

roll section may be said to be substantially equivalent to the width ofthe support areawhich' may be stretched the amplitude of the half-wavesformed inthe material by thedeflection of lower work rolls 14 iscontrollable at four points coinciding with the vertical center linesthrough each of the four support roll sections 23, 24, and 26.

, variation of the amplitudes of the half-waves formed by the deflectedupper work rolls 11 due to the displacement of support sections 20, 21and 22. The portions of the half-waves whose amplitude can be varied arespaced apart along the work rolls equivalent to the center distancebetween support roll sections. In the present arrangement, the actualavailable spacing is reduced to one-half said center distance on accountof the staggered relationship of upper support roll sections 20, 21 and22 with respect to lower support roll sections 23, 24, 25 and 26, or itmay be said that the group of short areas which may be corrected by theselective deflection of the lower work rolls is staggered with respectto the group of short areas which may be corrected by the selectivedeflection of the upper work rolls.

The principle of staggering support roll sections of one work roll bankwith respect to the support roll sections of the other work roll bankmay be applied to any of the support roll arrangements known in the art.It is convenient, but not essential, to provide an odd number of supportroll sections for one bank of straightening rolls and an even number ofsupport roll sections for the other bank of straightening rolls. Variousother changes and modifications will be obvious to those skilled in theart. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placedupon my invention as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a roller leveler, two banks of straightening rolls, between whicha distorted sheet is to pass, each bank comprising work rolls andsupporting sections, an even number of supporting sections located alongthe longitudinal axis of the Work rolls of one bank of straighteningrolls, an odd number of supporting sections located along thelongitudinal axis of the work rolls of the other bank of straighteningrolls, central portions of the last named supporting sections beingarranged between the central portions of adjacent pairs of the firstsupporting sections, end portions of the supporting sections of one bankoverlapping end portions of adjacent pairs of supporting sections of theother bank, and means for adjusting each of said supporting meanstowards or away from its associated work rolls to deflect said workrolls for correcting and leveling the work material.

2. In a roller leveler, two banks of work rolls, between which the workmaterial is to pass, an even number of supporting sections located alongthe longitudinal axis of and in contact with the work rolls of one ofsaid banks, an odd number of supporting sections located along thelongitudinal axis of and in contact with the work rolls of the otherbank, each of said supporting sections comprising a series of shortbacking rolls spaced longitudinally of the axis of the work rolls,between which their associated work rolls are nested, bearing blocks forrotatably supporting said series of backing rolls, a cradle for mountingsaid bearing blocks, a saddle for supporting said cradle, means fordisplacing said saddle with said cradle and bearing blocks and backingrolls towards and away from said associated work rolls, the backingrolls of the supporting sections for the one bank of work rolls being sospaced as to register with the spaces between the backing rolls of theother bank of work rolls to obtain as many spaced apart pressureapplication points across the width of the work material andlongitudinally of the axis of the work rolls as the total number ofsupport sections employed, and the spacing and arrangement of thebacking rolls of said banks being such as to overlap ends of the backingrolls of one bank with the ends of the backing rolls of the other bank.

3. In a roller leveler employing two banks of work rolls, the rolls ofone bank being arranged between the rolls of the other bank, a pluralityof support means spaced along the longitudinal axis of the work rolls ofeach of said work roll banks, and the supporting means of one bank beingso spaced as to register with spaces between the supporting means of theother bank and with end portions of the supporting means of one bankoverlapping portions of the supporting means in the other bank, wherebyall of said supporting means will collectively operate upon the workroll banks in flexing work material throughout the full width of suchmaterial.

4. In a roller leveler according to claim 3, wherein each supportingmeans includes means for selective adjustment toward and away from itsassociated Work rolls in control of leveling of the Work material.

5. In a roller leveler, two banks of work rolls positioned to flex workmaterial between them, a plurality of supporting means located along thelongitudinal axis of the work rolls of each of said Work roll banks, atleast part of the supporting means of one work roll bank being locatedin staggered relationship with respect to the supporting means of theother roll bank longitudinally of said work rolls, the supporting meansfor both work rolls collectively providing support throughout the majorportion of the length of the work rolls in the full area defined by thelongitudinal engagement of the supporting means with respect to thelongitudinal axis of said work rolls, and means for adjusting each ofsaid supporting means towards or away from its associated bank of Workrolls to deflect these work rolls into a desired working contour forcorrecting the distorted sheet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,475 8/37Ungerer 153106 2,718,827 9/55 Whittum 153-106 2,878,778 3/59 Kusters153-106 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A ROLLER LEVELER, TWO BANKS OF STRAIGHTENING ROLLS, BETWEEN WHICHA DISTORTED SHEET IS TO PAAS, EACH BANK COMPRISING WORK ROLLS ANDSUPPORTING SECTIONS, AN EVEN NUMBER OF SUPPORTING SECTIONS LOCATED ALONGTHE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE WORK ROLLS OF ONE BANK OF STRAIGHTENINGROLLS, AN ODD NUMBER OF SUPPORTING SECTIONS LOCATED ALONG THELONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE WORK ROLLS OF THE OTHER BANK OF STRAIGHTENINGROLLS, CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE LAST NAMED SUPPORTING SECTIONS BEINGARRANGED BETWEEN THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF ADJACENT PAIRS OF THE FIRSTSUPPORTING SECTIONS, END PORTIONS OF THE SUPPORTING SECTIONS OF ONE BANKOVERLAPPING END PORTIONS OF ADJACENT PAIRS OF SUPPORTING SECTIONS OF THEOTHER BANK, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING EACH OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANSTOWARDS OR AWAY FROM ITS ASSOCIATED WORK ROLLS TO DEFLECT SAID WORKROLLS FOR CORRENTING AND LEVELING THE WORK MATERIAL.